Maximum TMNT: The Legend Begins
by DARK KNIGHT of the MOON
Summary: A more mature retelling of the origin and beginnings of the TMNT. This story features key moments including the first meeting with April O'Neil, Casey Jones and The Foot Clan. Influences from the IDW Comics, the 1990 movie, the first 11 Mirage books and the 2003 cartoon series.
1. Chapter 1

**Issue #1**

 **New York City, Many Years Ago**

As Chester and Matthew exited the pet store they were startled as an oncoming truck swerved out of control. An old blind man sauntered along the crosswalk of 11th and Bleecker, his cane guiding him along the asphalt.

"Matt, look out!" Chester pointed to the poor sightless man.

Matthew raced into the street and hurriedly shoved the man out of harm's way. The truck barely missed the pedestrians and careened into the intersection before violently smashing into the car in front of it. A barrel of industrial waste labeled TCRI flew from the back of the truck and spilled all over the street. Matthew wasn't paying attention. The lime-colored sludge splashed into his face. In shock, Chester dropped his small aquarium. It shattered all over the sidewalk as he ran in the street to help his friend.

"Matt, are you okay?" the boy cried out.

Matthew moaned and looked around, realizing he could not see. He let out a brief scream before falling to his knees and crying. "Chester, help me. I think I'm… I'm blind."

The shattered glass from the aquarium littered the sidewalk. Its contents, four infant slider turtles, were now saturated in a puddle of the glowing slime. Onlookers marveled at the boy's heroic deed as police sirens could be heard in the distance. The waste began to flow along the sidewalk causing Chester's new pets to slip through a nearby storm drain and plummet to the bottom of a sewer.

Oblivious to the chaos on the street above, a gray field rat slinked down the face of a pipe and began to inspect its surroundings. The baby turtles were now crawling around in a small pool of the mysterious ooze. The emerald radiance of the substance illuminated the dank sewer. The rodent crawled up to one of the glowing terrapins and sniffed. The strange goo now soaked its feet.

The vermin screeched as it suddenly began to grow. In a matter of seconds the animal had doubled in size and now stood upright. It wasted no time as it began rolling a nearby coffee can toward the clutch of turtles. With great care the rat nudged each reptile into the bin, somehow aware that it was time to find a home for its new family.

* * *

Weeks had passed as the rat and his four turtles had grown in both size and intellect. The strange ooze that had accelerated the rat's growth had done the same for his progeny. The rat now stood at four feet tall. The turtles had mutated into humanoid turtle creatures and each stood about five feet in height. Each one appeared nearly identical to the next except for different variations in their plastron patterns and different shades of green skin color. They were now living in the sewer with the rat occasionally traveling above the sewer to scour the dumpsters in back alleys for nourishment. They had survived on discarded food from nearby restaurants including fish, partially rotten fruits and vegetables, stale bread and discarded boxes of Chinese takeout.

Shortly after the rat had brought his turtles to his burrow in the sewer, the rodent began to have vague memories of an ancient past. A strange instinct gnawed at him. He felt as though he might have once been the thing he feared most: a human. Soon, the rat found that he was intelligent enough to understand and repeat the words that he had heard the humans on the street using. He began teaching his adopted sons to speak the English Language.

As the weeks passed the rat's intelligence became far greater. His memories became harder to ignore. His past was no longer a mystery. He was now convinced that he had been reincarnated as a rat. In his former life he was Hamato Yoshi, the leader of a covert ninja clan known throughout Feudal Japan as the Foot. The clan's Chunin, or second-in-command, Oroku Saki, saw Yoshi's commitment to pacifism as a weakness. In an attempt to overthrow Yoshi and rebuild the clan in his own image Saki murdered Yoshi's wife, Teng Shen.

In his grief Hamato Yoshi fled the clan and wandered the forests of Japan in an attempt to find enlightenment. He settled somewhere in Southern Honshu and built a house, eventually dying of old age. Following Yoshi's departure the legend of the Foot Clan spread all over Japan. Under Oroku Saki they were said to be the most fearsome and ruthless band of scoundrels ever to haunt the land.

The rat sat meditating. _Why had he been reincarnated?_ The rat wondered what great purpose returning to life as a rat could have. _Was he being punished for choosing not to avenge the death of his beloved wife? And why would fate grant him such intelligence or the ability to speak like a human? Why had fate granted him four sons now when he could not conceive in the past?_ There were so many questions. Perhaps in time he could try to find the answers.

His thoughts were broken as the four turtles approached him.

"Father? May we speak with you?" one of them gripped his shoulder.

"What is it, my sons?" The rat was slightly annoyed at the interruption.

"My brothers and I have been thinking. We've been down here with you a long time. Can we go to the surface?" another chimed in.

"Not just yet. I have been out there foraging for food. You must believe me when I tell you it is too dangerous."

"Well, okay then. But father —."

"What is it now?" the rat shouted impatiently.

"Who are we? I mean I know we are turtles but do we have names?"

"Ah yes. Forgive me, son. I have spent weeks educating you about life and the ways of the world but I have failed to give you names. In fact, we all need names. I have been studying an old library book that I found discarded down here." The rat picked up the book that was lying beside him and began flipping through the dirty pages. " _Janson's Encyclopedia of Renaissance Art_ says the four most famous artists of the High Renaissance period were Leonardo da Vinci, Donatello di Betto Bardi, Michelangelo Buonarroti and Raffaello Sanzio." He pointed to each of his sons as he gave them all names. "So, I will call you Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael."

"Thank you, father." The one now called Leonardo spoke.

"And I will give myself the name I used during my exile many years ago. I will be called Splinter."

"This is so cool," the turtle named Michelangelo smiled.

"Don't disappear just yet, my sons. I have been meditating for many hours. I now know what I must do. In repentance for past mistakes I am going to teach you all the ways of the ninja. With this knowledge perhaps you can someday venture to the surface world and perform good deeds."

"What's a ninja?" the turtle who was Donatello scratched his head.

"You shall soon find out." Splinter grabbed a soggy wooden plank and bopped each turtle on the head.

"We're ready, father, geez." The one dubbed Raphael rubbed his temple.

"I warn you. Your training will be long, arduous and repetitive. I will at times be a difficult taskmaster. But this is the path I have chosen for us. You will learn several forms of combat. You will learn stealth and concealment. Above all you will learn discipline. I must first return to the surface world to gather the tools that will aid you in your training. Be patient, my children. We shall soon begin."


	2. Chapter 2

**Issue #2**

 **Present Day**

The afternoon was cold as Splinter and his turtles began the last part of their training. Nearly fifteen years had passed since Splinter had begun teaching the four brothers, who had since gained great knowledge. Splinter was now an elderly rat. Leonardo, sometimes called "Leo", was now sixteen and the oldest turtle. Donatello, most often referred to as "Don" or "Donnie", and Raphael or "Raph" were both fifteen years old. Don was slightly older than Raph however. Michelangelo, usually known as "Mikey," was fourteen and the baby of the group.

By now Splinter had furnished their remote part of the sewer with several amenities acquired from various places over the years. Several industrial extension cords were routed along the sewer wall to a nearby junction box for power. Splinter and each of his turtles had their own living quarters, which consisted of tiny offshoots of the main living area. Each living space had a mattress for sleeping and had been customized by its occupant.

The main room was a large abandoned sewer maintenance station. An electric stove was situated near a far corner. The oversized dining table was near that corner of the room next to an old refrigerator. A small television set sat at the center of the room adjacent from a huge dirty brown sofa. The series of bookshelves along the main wall of the room housed a large book collection. Cookbooks, history books, art books and encyclopedias lined the shelves along with _Popular Science_ magazine for Donnie and the bottom shelf held Mikey's _Silver Sentry_ and _Justice Force_ comic books. Several lamps, also plugged into extension cords, were set up randomly throughout the place for illumination. Donnie's custom-made desktop computer sat at the front of the room in the center. A sheet metal door leading to the main sewer entrance remained locked for privacy.

Splinter had also commandeered several items from a nearby dojo. While each turtle had become proficient in many different fighting styles and ancient weaponry they all had their preference. Leonardo used dual ninjato, katana-like short swords with straight blades, in his training. A pair of nunchaku was given to Michelangelo. Donatello had selected the bo staff. Raphael adopted twin sai. Splinter himself, who always wore a brown kimono, had an assortment of personal weapons including a katana, a pair of kama or hand sickles, a pair of butterfly swords, a bow with a quiver of arrows, throwing stars and his trusty walking stick.

Training always began in the morning after tea with twenty minutes of qigong, a respiration technique to improve concentration and enhance awareness. Following the breathing exercises came three sets of backflips, with ten in each set. Then the turtles would pair off for aikido training, followed by karate, jujitsu and kobudo training. Next came their stealth training. The final phase was weapons training. They trained for six hours a day with lunch and thirty minutes meditation in between. After their training concluded they would meditate again, eat a small dinner, read or watch television and fall asleep.

While Splinter forbade his boys to ever leave their home, there were occasions when the young turtles would sneak to the surface. They were never caught except by Splinter once or twice and were always made to train extra hard. That is where the turtles discovered their passions. Leo would peek into rooftop skylights to watch the dojo masters training their students. Donnie read books about science and computers. Mikey discovered comic books, pizza, horror movies and cartoons. Raph just loved to get out and roam, observing city life from the shadows.

The day had finally come for Splinter's final test. He had lined his sons up next to each other, youngest to oldest, in front of a structure of one hundred burning candles.

"Are you ready, my sons?" Splinter pulled a bullwhip from the wall. "This is the candle test. The purpose here is teamwork and stealth. I will be blindfolded and my back turned. You are to collectively extinguish these candles. If I hear you I will use the whip in my left hand and I will lash toward you. In my right hand is a stopwatch. You have one minute. If you pass, you will be ready for the outside world. It has been an honor training you. If you fail, you will have to spend another six months training."

"Oh man! What a bummer." Mikey gripped his nunchaku.

"Don't worry, little bro. It's in the bag. We got this." Raph assured.

"Just concentrate." Leo crossed his swords and stared at each candle.

"Be methodical. Let's work together." Donnie advised, gripping his bo tightly.

"Get ready!" Splinter warned. "Go!"

With a click of the stopwatch the turtles leapt into action. Mikey attacked the right side of the candle horde, whipping his nunchaku over many of the yellow flames. The resulting wind snuffed out several candles. Donatello leapt over the mass of flame and waved his staff with great speed. Several more flames were extinguished. Raph attacked from the left side and swiped each sai left and right. Cutting several candles in half, he blew out their fire with a quiet strength. Finally Leo sliced a katana down the center of the waxy mass. Several candles went out like light bulbs and the rest were left balanced on his blade. He quickly swished his blade close enough to blow the rest out.

"And done." Mikey shouted out with glee.

Splinter clicked the stopwatch and removed the black fabric from his eyes. "Forty-five seconds and not a sound. Well done, children."

"Alright!" the four exclaimed in unison, exchanging high fives.

Splinter didn't look as happy. He knelt down to the floor and began to weep.

"What is it Master Splinter? Is something wrong?" Donnie rushed over to his sensei to comfort him.

"I am just so proud. These last fifteen years have meant much to me, my sons. Raising you, training you and getting to know you has done this old rat some good. And now you are finally ready to take on whatever the surface world may throw at you. But always remember to stay in the shadows. Be mindful of your surroundings. And if you must engage an enemy, strike hard and fade away."

"We have always tried to be good students, sensei. We are grateful for all you have taught us." Leo gripped his master's hand and pulled him to his feet.

"I have something for you all." Splinter raced to his quarters and quickly returned to the main room with a large a cardboard box.

"What is it, Master Splinter?" Raph was surprised.

Splinter pulled the lid off of the box and revealed several brown leathern belts. "These are specially made belts which I have been working on. Each is designed to hold your weapon of choice." Splinter handed Michelangelo his belt.

"Whoa! Check this out." Mikey grinned as he strapped on his belt and loaded each nunchaku into the leather straps on the front.

"So awesome." Raph put his belt on and slid each sai into its front holster.

"Now Leonardo, your belt comes equipped with a shoulder strap. Your swords will fit into their sheaths on your back. Donatello, your bo staff will fit into a slot on the back of your shoulder strap."

"Thank you, sensei." Donatello hugged his master and wrapped the belt around him, attaching the strap to his belt via metal buckle.

"This is really great, Master. Thank you very much." Leo adorned his belt and slipped each blade into their sheaths over his right shoulder.

"Don't get too comfortable, children. There's more." Splinter held up a series of padded armaments: dark brown elbow pads, kneepads, wristbands and ankle bands too. "This is for further protection." He then pulled out an orange bandana mask. "And this is for concealment."

"What? This is crazy." Mikey squealed. "We get masks too?"

"Each is your favorite color. I have been saving all of this stuff for years. I got it all at the dojo down the street. Everything has been custom fitted according to your size. Lucky for me, you all have nearly the same measurements."

"This is great. Thanks, Master." Raphael flashed Splinter a thumbs up as he put on his red headband and other gear. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's put this stuff on and get topside and go exploring."

"You said it, Raphael." Leo tied his blue bandana mask on and slipped on the various body pads.

"Yeah. This is like Christmas or something. Thanks, sensei." Mikey tried on his bandana in a nearby mirror.

"You deserve it, Michelangelo. You all do. You have all worked very hard."

"Well, come on dudes! Let's go for it." Mikey was already dressed in his padding as he unbolted the door and disappeared into the sewer.

"Hey, Mikey. Wait up." Donatello slid his bo staff behind him, placed the purple bandana around his eyes and strapped on his pads. He then followed Raph and Leo out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

**Issue #3**

The darkness was tempered only by moonlight as the turtles prowled the rooftops of the Lower East Side. This was their first official outing as trained ninjas. As Leonardo led his brothers furtively across the rooftops of Yancy Street, they came upon a warehouse. Several suspicious looking masked men were loading large boxes into the back of randomly parked unmarked vans.

"Hold it!" Leo threw his arm out to halt his brothers.

"Well, look what we have here." Raph pulled a sai, leering over the edge of the roof.

"Who are these guys?" Donatello peered down at them.

"Do we move?" Mikey gripped his nunchucks.

"Let's go. But stay in the shadows." Leo cautioned.

Raph swiftly leapt off the roof, flailing his weapons. His brothers soared downward in pursuit. Leonardo's swords slashed two masked thugs, causing each to drop the box they were hauling. Each turtle landed with a hard thud, striking defensive poses. They were now ready for battle.

Several more thugs crowded in front of them each wielding a bladed weapon. The thug with the axe started swinging toward Donatello. Don's bo quickly deflected the axe and struck the thug in his face. As the thug went down two more lunged toward Mikey, each brandishing spears. Mikey wrapped his chucks around the sharp weapons, whipping them into the air. The turtle then dropkicked his attackers, each of his feet pelting them in the chest. Leo slashed two more goons in the shoulder before another masked attacker waved a dagger in Raph's face. The turtle bludgeoned him in the chest with a sai. Raph then grabbed the thug and slammed him against the side of the warehouse.

"Nice night, ain't it, puke-face. Mind tellin' my brothers and me what you're doin' with those boxes?"

Leo's sword sliced open one of the boxes that was on the ground, partially revealing a stereo inside.

"Ah, an electronics warehouse." Donnie smiled, leaning on his bo staff.

"Just where are you jerks running these babies off to?" Mikey knelt down to examine the stereo. "And why are you dressed like ninjas?"

"We swear a loyalty to The Shredder. You freaks will fear us for we are the Foot Clan."

"The Shredder?" Donatello cackled with laughter.

"Is your boss a kitchen appliance?" Michelangelo joked, nudging Donnie's arm. "And the Foot Clan? Gimme a break."

"That explains the insignia they wear on their uniforms." Leo pointed his sword at the thug's chest.

Raphael ripped the sewn circular patch off of the thug's gray uniform and studied it. "Simple enough. A black foot on a red background. It's not sayin' much for fashion, but I like it."

"Let's take that patch back to the Master and see what he makes of it." Leo sheathed both of his swords.

"Not so fast, freaks." A voice called out.

"Now what?" Donnie moaned as he and his brothers whipped around to see what was behind them.

A well-built but bald Japanese man stood before them. He wore a flowing gray robe with the insignia of the Foot Clan on it. A thin red scar trailed from the bottom of his left eye down across his cheek. Behind him were fifty more Foot soldiers.

"I am Tatsu, Chunin of the Foot Clan. I don't know what you are or where you came from but know this, you have made an enemy this day. At this moment, rather than fight, I will simply deliver a message. Do not interfere with our operations. If you do we will bring war to you, like you have never seen. Take heed."

Tatsu paused for a moment before tossing a smoke grenade to the ground. A thick gray mist shrouded Tatsu and his clan. Don and Mikey flailed their weapons to clear the haze. Leonardo flailed his arms, releasing a cough as he breathed in the smoke. Moments later as the fog began to clear the turtles realized that their foes had vanished. No trace of the Foot remained except the insignia patch that Raph still held in his hand.

* * *

The four brothers returned to their lair to find Splinter meditating on his red dojo mat under dim lamplight. The rat was aroused from his trance as his sons entered through the door.

"Did you have fun, children?" the master sensei rose to greet them.

"I wouldn't exactly call it fun, master, but we found this." Raphael handed the rat their prize.

"It was too fun, Raph." Mikey countered. "We met some ninjas but we got some bruises in the process."

"This symbol. Where did you find it? Tell me everything." Splinter examined the Foot patch.

The turtles sat in a circle on the floor of the sewer as Leo began to relay the story to their master.

"We were just out exploring when we found this warehouse. A bunch of ninjas were robbing the place. We confronted them and they said they were part of a clan of ninjas called the Foot."

"Yeah! It was sweet. These two dudes were after me with some axes but I sure showed them. I—."

"Michelangelo. Let your brother continue." Splinter scolded.

"Anyway, we fought and then this big dude, calling himself Tatsu, the Chunin of the clan, showed up and warned us not to interfere with the Foot ever again."

"Yeah! And they said their leader was called The Shredder and —."

"Michelangelo, please. Wait. Did you say, The Shredder?" The rat's eyes widened and his ears perked.

"Well yeah, master, but who's —."

Splinter sighed before standing up. He moved to the dining table and poured himself some tea. "It is time I tell you a story, my sons. It is time I finally tell you my story. It is time I tell you the true story of the Foot Clan." Splinter returned to the floor.

"Wait, you know about the Foot?" Raphael looked at his master in shock.

"Yes. And truth be told, I should have informed you of this long ago. Perhaps I didn't see a reason to share such knowledge or perhaps I was afraid to tell you."

"It's okay, sensei. You can tell us." Leo assured.

"Very well. Many years ago in the feudal era of Japan I lead the Foot Clan. In fact, I was its founder. We were a terrible force. Violence and death followed our every step. We conquered many villages. And then I met a woman called Teng Shen. She showed me the error of my ways and showed me what it meant to be loved. From that day on I remolded the clan into a force for peace. I —."

"Excuse me, Master Splinter, but how could you lead a clan of ninjas. You're a rat."

"Who once was a man, Donatello. I discovered shortly after I found you some fifteen years ago that I had been reincarnated. The soul of Hamato Yoshi lives in me."

"Reincarnation? Master, I am not ready to believe in something so unscientific. I mean mutated turtles is hard enough for me to swallow, but —."

"C'mon, Donnie. Let sensei finish." Leo barked.

"As I was saying, I led the Foot Clan as Hamato Yoshi. I had steered us toward the path of peace until my Chunin, Oroku Saki, killed Teng Shen. I was too heartbroken, too damaged by the experience to retaliate. I fled the clan and for the rest of my days I walked the Earth in search of inner peace."

"And what about us? We're walking, talking animals too. Are we reincarnated?"

"No, Raphael. I think not. If you were perhaps you would sense it as deeply as I sense my past life." Splinter put his hand on Raphael's shoulder. "The green ooze that we were soaked in augmented our intelligence and changed us somehow. That part of the story may forever remain mysterious."

"And what of this Shredder character?" Leo looked curious.

"Yes. The Shredder. That was what Oroku Saki, my Chunin, came to be called in the early days of our clan. It is a name that was given to him because of his bloodthirsty nature. When my beloved Teng Shen showed me the path of light, Saki rebelled, wishing to embrace the path of darkness."

"But he can't be alive, sensei. If he lived in Feudal Japan he would be hundreds of years old today." Donatello pointed out.

"If it is the same man then we must be cautious, my sons. If Oroku Saki still walks the Earth then he may have truly become the mythical Dragon Warrior. He may have discovered immortality."

"This sounds too far out, Master Splinter."

"However difficult it may be to believe, Michelangelo, it is the truth. It is late, children. Let us sleep now. If you have any further questions for me, ask them later. Goodnight."

Splinter got up and kissed each of his turtles on the forehead before disappearing into his quarters. Donatello and Leonardo each remained seated in the floor and began to meditate. Michelangelo grabbed some comics off the bookshelf and wandered to his quarters to read. Raphael decided to leave. While it was clear that each turtle was troubled by his father's story, Raph seemed the most confused by it.

Raph grabbed the trench coat and gray fedora from the coat rack near the door. "I'm catchin' a late night movie, bros."

Leo and Donnie were too entranced in their meditation to notice their brother. Raph opened the door and exited without a sound.


	4. Chapter 4

**Issue #4**

A week later, Raph's thoughts were all over the place as he strolled through Central Park West. He chuckled to himself as he thought of the movie he had just seen, a midnight showing of _Attack of the Brain Aliens From Dimension X_. He had been out busting up petty crimes solo all week. Leo had been training on rooftops during the day and going to bed early. Donatello was spending most of his time in chat rooms on the Internet. Michelangelo was reading comics, playing tabletop role playing games or watching cartoons. Between the carjacking and the muggings, Raph had been busy. He had even seen a different movie every night, trying to rid his mind of Splinter's story.

Raph was so confused. _Could it be true? Could Splinter really be reincarnated from some warlord from Feudal Japan?_ Raph was bothered enough by these questions that he realized he had serious problems with the supernatural. It was odd enough that he and his four brothers were mutated humanoid turtles that practiced ninjitsu. If Splinter were indeed a reincarnated rat Raphael knew that he would be able to deal with it eventually. Now, he just wanted to get home.

From out of nowhere violent screams of terror interrupted his thoughts. The turtle looked around but saw nothing. He decided to follow the sound and finally came upon a twisted scene. Behind a large tree three street thugs were being beaten to a pulp. Some sporting goods store reject in a hockey mask was wailing on the thugs with a baseball bat in one hand and a golf club in the other. Raph stood there, for a moment amused, before he realized that the goalie from Hell was going to kill these guys.

"Calm down, Gretzky, before you do somethin' you might regret." Raphael leaned toward the masked man and ripped the bat from his hands.

"What the hell?" the man in the hockey mask stepped back to look at the intruder. He then swung his golf club at the trench-coated turtle.

"Yo, pal, Tiger Woods called. He wants his putter back." Raphael grabbed the golf club and yanked it from the madman with the sports obsession.

In the ensuing scuffle the three street thugs skittered through the grass and vanished behind a bush.

"Dude! You let those purse snatchin' scumbags get away. It looks like somebody's gonna have to teach you a lesson."

"Oh really?" Raph smiled under his fedora. "Seriously, bro, you look ridiculous in that getup. Sports jersey under a denim vest. Shoulder pads? Sweat pants? Let me guess, you're just compensatin' for gettin' picked last in gym class, right?"

"Oh yeah? And what the hell are you supposed to be, freak? Humphrey Bogart in a frog costume?" the vigilante pulled the hockey stick from his bag and knocked Raph in the head as hard as he could.

Raphael fell hard to the ground. The fedora flew from his head and flittered a few feet away. As Raphael stood up he tackled the sport's themed psycho to the ground and pulled his mask off.

"Get the hell off me, freak!"

"Well, what do ya' know. It's human after all." Raph laughed as he rose to his feet.

"What the hell are you?" the man couldn't believe his eyes as he cautiously stood up again.

"Nobody special. Just a turtle. And a ninja. A ninja turtle."

"What?" the vigilante looked confused.

"Hey, I like that. Has a nice ring to it, don't ya' think?"

"Look. I've seen some weird shit in my time, man, but you. You take the cake."

"A ninja turtle can't be any weirder than a Jason Voorhees wannabe beatin' on defenseless little street punks with sports gear, can it?"

"Dude, the name's Casey Jones. And I got a reason for doin' what I do, okay. Maybe I'll tell you about it sometime but right now I got work to do. Somewhere out there a helpless old lady is gettin' her milk money stolen. See ya', pal." The vigilante grabbed his mask off the ground and placed it over his face once more. He grabbed his weapons returning them to the golf bag on his shoulder. With hockey stick in hand the crazed vigilante raced to the edge of the park, disappearing behind a row of trees.

* * *

That night as Raphael returned home, his family was up and waiting for him. It was nearly two o'clock in the morning as he put the fedora and trench coat on the rack.

"Hey, guys." Raph waved. "What are you doin' up?"

"Sensei has shown us something, important." Leonardo stood up from the couch. "Where have you been, Raphael?"

"Out, Leo. What of it?"

"Don't you think it's a good idea to concentrate on ninja training than whatever the hell it is you do out there at night?"

"Shut up, Leo. I am trainin'. Every night. You don't even know okay? I've helped people. Saved lives. I'm out there on the front lines. What is it that you're doin'? Fancy ninja moves on rooftops, meditation and rice and vegetables. Some life, Leo."

"Enough!" Splinter raised his voice. "Raphael is home. That is all that matters now." Splinter moved over to the table and picked up a broken canister marked TCRI.

"What is that, Master Splinter?" Raphael's eyes widened.

"It is a canister I found in the sewer recently. It is significant only because of the markings on the glass. TCRI is the label that was on the barrel of ooze that we were soaked in. I remember seeing the lid to the barrel through the sewer grating when I first discovered the four of you."

"What do you think was in that canister, Master Splinter?" Mikey spoke up.

"I would assume more of the ooze that changed us."

"Big deal. What can we do about it? That was nearly fifteen years ago." Raphael shrugged.

Donatello went over to his desktop computer and fired it up.

"What are you doing, Donnie? Master is trying to talk to us."

"Relax, Leo. I'm going online to see what this TCRI is."

"Hey, good idea, bro." Michelangelo hopped on his skateboard and rolled toward the computer.

A few moments later everyone, including Splinter, were sitting near Donatello's computer as he read an article about the mysterious TCRI.

"Well, there was nothing available on the surface web so I had to log in to the deep web."

"Uh, what's the difference, dude?"

"No time to explain, Mikey," Donatello stared intently at the computer screen. "According to this, TCRI stands for Techno Cosmic Research Institute. It's a private corporation that's been around for nearly fifty years. It funds and develops secret military projects for the highest bidding government. Conspiracy theorists have speculated for a long time that TCRI may harbor aliens and alien technology."

"Ooh. This sounds like an episode of the _X-Files_."

"Shut up, Mikey." Leo smacked his brother in the head. "Go on, Don. Anything else? Is there anything about the ooze that transformed us?"

"I'm reading. I'm reading. Aha! It says here that in 1984 a military weapon was developed for the Soviet Union that granted soldiers superhuman abilities. It was a serum that increased strength, stamina, speed and intelligence for a few soldiers that it was tested on. The rest went insane. It was also found to have regenerative properties. Soldiers wounded on the battlefield grew back their limbs."

"Super soldiers? You mean like Captain America? Cool!"

"Geez, Mikey, do you come with an off switch?" Raph put his arm around his baby brother.

"Anyway, apparently the project was scrapped because those who went insane were horribly mutated into monsters. The mutates were all destroyed and most records of the project were destroyed."

"Human mutates? That's something, I guess." Leo rubbed his temple.

"The only other thing it says is that conspiracies about the serum vary. Some theorize that the substance is a secret formula stolen from another dimension. Others claim that it has an alien origin and was given to a team at TCRI by an alien race in exchange for the construction of military weapons."

"Just imagine, us as aliens." Mikey blurted out.

All four turtles began to howl with laughter at the thought.

"But what if it is true?"

"Relax, little bro! Us as aliens? It's ridiculous." Raphael put Mikey in the headlock and rubbed his head.

Suddenly a loud humming noise invaded the sewer. The harsh crunching sound of brick, steel and concrete being twisted together and pulverized echoed throughout the sewer. A minor vibration could be felt throughout the lair. As the noise got louder the vibrations turned to quakes.

"What's going on?" Leo looked around.

"My sons, watch out!" Splinter pointed his walking stick towards the other side of the sewer.

The sewer wall exploded as three dozen metallic robots each with two tromping feet, giant egg-shaped heads and gaping razor-sharp mouths burrowed their way into the sewer, bringing walls and pipes down around them.

"What the hell are those things?" Leo pulled his swords.

"Whatever they are, they picked the wrong party to crash." Raph gripped a sai in each hand.

"Why does this remind me of an arcade game I once played?" Michelangelo started swinging his nunchucks.

"I'd love the opportunity to study one of these things." Donatello pulled his bo staff.

"My sons, defend yourselves." Splinter pulled several throwing stars from his belt.

All four turtles and their father now stood ready to defend their home as these strange robots charged toward them ready to kill.


	5. Chapter 5

**Issue #5**

The legion of robots charged toward the turtles and their master with great speed. Their mouths were wide open, ready to chomp their quarry. Leonardo charged forward slashing two of them with his ninjato swords, cutting through their bodies. Donnie dripped the end if his bo staff and swung it in a circle. The hard contact of his weapon sent four more robots flying into the sewer wall. The machines simply fell to the ground and stood up again, undaunted.

"Uh, guys. It looks like the only way to stop these things is to cut their heads off."

"No fair, Don. Raph and I don't even have bladed weapons." Mikey wrapped his nunchucks around the neck of one and flipped it over his head causing the head of the machine to break off.

"So improvise." Leo mowed another one down with this sword like wheat before the sickle.

Raph leapt four feet into the air and kicked one of the robotic menaces in the head. He stabbed a sai into the shining red light on its head and watched as the thing short-circuited. "Aim for the light on their heads, bros. It shuts 'em down."

"It must be where the central processor is located." Donatello smashed his staff into another one.

Michelangelo whipped his nunchucks around and around, smashing two more in the head.

Splinter beat several of the metal monstrosities off of him with his walking stick. The rat then scurried across the floor and darted up a nearby wall, pulling his katana from its resting place. The ninja master flipped around to face his attackers. With a forceful grace he swung the katana, beheading six robots at once.

"Wait a second." Donatello noticed a slightly larger robot at the far end of the sewer and dashed toward it. "The big one has some sort of device attached to its front." The turtle tapped it with his bo to distract it. He then leapt into the air and smashed its headlight. He grabbed the small box off of its mechanical body and examined it, pressing a small red button.

The twenty-five remaining robots instantly seized up. They each kneeled forward and shut down with a jerky motion. The turtles and their master met at the front of the room. Donatello held the larger of the robots in his hands.

"So that's it?" Mikey put his nunchaku in his belt.

"It seems so. This box is some sort of remote control. Though I can't understand why this larger robot had it on him."

"Could it be a tracking device of some kind?" Leo wondered.

"Or a bomb?" Raph suggested.

Don quickly dropped the device to the floor and smashed it with his staff. "No. The circuitry is too sophisticated for it to be a bomb. As far as a tracking device, that could be more likely. That's why I had to smash it."

"So, where did these dudes come from?" Mikey picked one of the numerous robots up to study it.

"There's a serial number on the bottom of this large one. A few minutes on my computer should answer that question and hopefully more. C'mon, guys. Let's see what we can find." Donnie raced to his computer. The others followed him. He pulled up a new web browser and began to type away.

"It looks like Stockgen is where these machines are made. It's an applied science research firm based here in New York specializing in bioengineering and telerobotics. These robots we just fought are the creation of its founder, Baxter Stockman. The city's environmenatal protection board commissioned them as a way to take care of New York's growing rat problem. They're called Mouser robots."

"How appropriate." Raph sneered.

"Heh, heh. Rat problem. No offense, Master Splinter." Mikey nudged his master.

"Apparently there are hundreds more."

"Okay, Donnie, but why would they come down here?" Leo asked.

"Looking for rats I suppose." Donnie stroked a few more keys.

"What if its more than that?" Raph picked his teeth with a sai. "What if this Stockman guy found out about us and sent these metal creeps down here to get us?"

"You're being paranoid, Raph. We've always been careful about secrecy. That is unless you've been seen on your little outings?"

Raph stared at Leo as the masked vigilante calling himself Casey Jones crossed his mind. "No, Leo. Of course not."

"Well then, the fact that these machines are here in our home is an unfortunate coincidence. Still, we must be cautious." Splinter stood firm, still holding the katana that he used to dispatch his enemies.

"Well, Leo. What's our next move?" Mikey threw his arm around the eldest turtle. "Your always the turtle with the plan."

"I think its time we go to this Stockgen place and see what we can find. If we shut a few more of these things down then that couldn't hurt either."

"Yeah, action. I love this plan." Raph smiled.

"Can we pick up a couple pies on the way guys? I'm starving."

"No, Mikey. We just get in there, see what we can find, and get out." Leo ordered.

"Maybe on the way back then?"

"That does sound good, Leo." Raphael admitted.

"Okay then. On the way back, we'll hit Rupert's pizzeria."

"Great, Leo. Let's go for it!" Michelangelo jumped with excitement.

Donnie stood up from his computer. "Right. Let's see what we can find."

"Be careful my sons."

Each turtle headed for the door and disappeared from their master's sight. Whatever they were in for, each knew they had to be ready for anything.


	6. Chapter 6

**Issue #6**

The night was quiet as four figures scaled stealthily up and over the perimeter fence of the StockGen campus on the outskirts of the city. They raced from the side of the "West Building" to around back. The turtles had finally found the place after finding the address to the facility on Donnie's computer.

Raph threw a sai into a security camera near the back entrance. Donnie snuck up behind a guard holding a rifle that was pacing back and forth near the rear entrance. With a wave of his staff, Donnie pelted the guy in the face, knocking him out cold. Michelangelo looked around for more guards, finding none.

"No other guards? This is too easy."

"Agreed, Mikey." Donatello pulled his bo from behind him. "We've got to be ready for anything.

"Overconfidence in his security cameras makes Stockman arrogant. Arrogance breeds weakness. Stay alert." Leo held both his swords in front of him.

"How do we get in this place? The roof?"

"No, Raph. Donnie can you work around this door's security lock?"

"It won't be easy, Leo." Donatello examined the electronic door lock on the wall next to the door. "This panel requires a key card. However if I pull this box from its placement in the wall and move some wiring around I should be able to bypass the security key. I only need a few minutes."

"Screw this. There's no time." Raph jammed a sai deep into the security panel. "I got a quicker way of gettin' us in."

As Raph jimmied his weapon around inside the panel a spark flew. A small green light bulb shined from above the door and a red LED near the doorknob turned green.

"Well, there's always the direct approach." Leo cautiously turned the door handle and entered the building.

"Sweet! We're in." Mikey smiled at Donnie. "Sometimes there's just no substitute for Raphie on secret missions, eh Don?"

"Shut up, Mikey." Donnie nudged his brother's shoulder.

"Be quiet, guys." Leo pulled a flashlight from the front of his belt and shined the light around the dark room.

The room was full of several plastic crates stacked on top of each other. A metal staircase led from the left side of the tiny room up the wall to another door. The four brothers moved swiftly and silently to the other door and peaked through the door's glass pane.

"It's just a hallway. Where do you think it leads?" Raph gripped his sai.

"Probably to a set of offices." Donnie pointed to a sign above the door that read "Offices: Security Clearance C."

"Let's go. But be careful." Leo advised.

"I love this spy stuff. James Bond, eat your heart out." Mikey followed his three brothers through the door.

The hallway was dimly lit and it seemed as though the offices were completely empty. Most employees had gone home. But, as the turtles moved beyond the main hall they came upon a brightly lit office and overheard a conversation between a man and a woman.

"I've really enjoyed working here, Dr. Stockman. This internship is gonna look great on my application when I transfer from NYU to Columbia next fall. The doctorate program in genetic research is really important to me."

"That's nice, Miss O'Neil. You have proven to be a very dedicated scientist, given that you're only an intern and you're usually the last one to leave. Only, there's one thing that troubles me."

"What's that, Sir?" there was concern in the woman's voice.

"April, may I call you April? There's no easy way to say this, but I know you have been past your security clearance. How much do you know about TCRI?"

"TCRI? What? I—."

"Don't try to deny it, April. I've seen the security footage. You have been snooping around after hours. Now, what have you been up to?"

"You're right, okay. I'm sorry, Dr. Stockman. The curiosity about your mouser robot project got the better of me. I went into the protected files. I was just trying to find the patent."

"The protected files? How resourceful. Then you surely did overhear my conversation with General Krang that I saved on file?"

"Who?"

"Being coy again? He's a very powerful ally to StockGen at the moment. He's the military leader of Burnow, a small island nation in the Pacific?"

"I—."

"You're going to tell me what you know or I'll cancel this internship. I'll see to it that you don't get into the doctorate program at NYU."

"Okay. Please don't do that. All I found out was that TCRI has supplied StockGen with a genetic chemical compound that can genetically enhance soldiers. TCRI wants StockGen to modify the formula. And this Krang character is going to pay you to get him samples so he can build an army or something. That's all I know."

"Well, that is unfortunate, April. You see, you know too much. I'm afraid I'll indeed have to terminate you." Stockman moved toward April with a look of murderous hatred.

"What? You can't treat people this way. Please, doctor. I won't tell anyone what I've learned. I just want to do my job and move on to my doctorate."

"Oh, you're not going anywhere, girlie."

"Hold it right there, Stockman." Leo appeared in front of the door, his sword pointed at the African American man in the white lab coat and blue bowtie. "Whatever terror you have brought to this city ends now."

"What? Who the hell are you?" Come into the light." Stockman ordered.

Leonardo and his three brothers slowly entered the office.

"My god. Incredible. Giant green monsters." Stockman noticed the shells on their backs. "No. You're turtles. With masks and weapons? What the hell is going on here?"

"Oh my god." April's mouth dropped open as she stared at the four brothers. "It all makes sense. Those files I read did say something about mutating people into animals or animals into humanoid sentient creatures. These must be the result of that mutagen."

"Wow. This lady's pretty smart." Raph smiled at her.

"And cute too... for a human." Michelangelo winked at April.

"I don't know what business you have here but you four better leave, before I call security."

"Good luck, Stockman. I've disabled your comm system on the way up here." Donatello gritted his teeth.

"Yeah. It's just you and us, dude. You're going down." Mikey smacked the man in the lab coat with his nunchucku, sending the man into a file cabinet at the corner of the cramped office.

Raph advanced toward Stockman and grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him up against the cabinet. "You're gonna tell us how to disable those freakin' robots or else."

"The mousers? Is that what this is about?" Stockman was instantly afraid at the sight of Raph's anger. "But the city is paying me to operate them."

"Not anymore. Your stupid robots found their way into our home. Now how do we disable them?" the turtle in the red bandana screamed.

"Sure. Look in my right coat pocket. The master control. It will disable every one of them."

Raph felt around the man's pocket, grabbing the small boxy remote and tossing it to Donnie. "You figure it out, bro."

Donnie examined the silver device. It was similar to the one found on the large robot in the sewer but smaller; about the size of a garage door opener. He noticed a small cap on the bottom of the remote. He flipped the cap open and pressed a tiny red button labeled "fail safe."

A few moments passed until a loud explosion was heard from below. The office shook and everyone felt a small tremble in the floors and walls.

"You idiot! Now you've done it." Stockman screamed with furious rage. You just set my robots to self-destruct. Now the entire lab on the east side of this campus is going up in flames."

"Really? Some scientist you are, Stockman. You put bombs on your robots as a safety precaution?" Donnie couldn't believe how dumb this guy was.

"No matter. That explosion just alerted my security team. I can repair the damage but you don't have much time. My people are going to murder all of you, you freaks of nature."

"Miss O'Neil is it? You better come with us." Leo offered an outstretched hand to the intern in the navy blue jumpsuit.

April grabbed her yellow jacket from the back of her chair and put it on, zipping up the front. "Well, I guess I can't stay here anymore can I?"

"This Stockman dude is bad news. It's safe to say your days here are over. Now come on." Mikey grabbed her by the hand and lead her out of the office.

"Goodbye, doc. If we ever see any more of those robots again, we're comin' back for you. And next time, we ain't gonna be so nice." Raph stabbed the doctor in the left arm, giving him a minor flesh wound. "Somethin' to remember us by."

"I'll find you freaks. I'll have my revenge." Baxter Stockman fell to the floor bleeding and in shock.

The turtles moved back down the office corridor. They saw a horde of armed guards at the end of the hallway from which they entered. A few of the guards shot at their bullets were deflected.

"They're blocking our exit. No choice but to fight." Leonardo charged forward and sliced one of the guard's rifles in half.

"Mikey, protect the girl." Raph charged ahead and bludgeoned two guards with his daggers.

"Heh, you don't gotta tell me twice, bro." Mikey stood in front of the redheaded scientist. He whipped his nunchucks around and leapt toward a guard, striking him in the neck, knocking him unconscious.

Donnie thrust his bo into the floor and used it to vault through the air kicking another member of StockGen Security in the chest. The brainy turtle then whacked another guard in the face with his weapon, knocking out some teeth. And then another.

"These guys just keep comin'." Raph stabbed yet another guard in the leg. "Good. The more the merrier."

"Guys, we've gotta get out of here." Leo's swords cut another gun into pieces just before it went off and he head butted the goon.

Another shot rang out through the hall and a cry of pain could be heard before the room fell silent. Michelangelo, who had been standing guard of the O'Neil woman, fell to the floor. His right shoulder began spurting blood.

"Mikey?" Donnie rushed to his brother's side. "He's been shot."

"No!" Raph flew into a fury of violence, stabbing and kicking security guards left and right.

Leo watched as Donnie threw Mikey's left arm around his shoulder and began to pick him up. Leo approached the attractive scientist in the blue jumpsuit.

"Miss O'Neil. Do you know any other way out of here?"

"No. The other end of the hall doesn't have an exit. But there is an elevator that leads to the parking deck. And my van is there."

"Let's go." Leo called out. "Lead the way, April." He smiled at the science student who ran toward the other end of the hall.

Leo and Donnie carried Mike as Raph walked backward in their direction, staving off the continued threat of the guards. Moments passed as the group finally came to the elevator. April hurried in, helping Leonardo and Donnie situate Mikey into the floor. Raph stabbed another guard and used him as a human shield before finally entering the elevator car. Donnie pounded the button marked "B" for basement and the elevator door slid shut amid a hail of rifle rounds.


	7. Chapter 7

**Issue #7**

Headlights of the beige Volkswagen Type 2 van beamed through the darkness of the night. Rain flushed down heavily all over the city. The turtles and April O'Neil had escaped the facility at StockGen but Michelangelo was injured. April now focused on the road while listening to Leonardo in the passenger seat next to her.

"So that's it. It may be hard to believe but here we are. We don't exactly know where we came from. But we know the ooze mutated us."

"And your master trained you as ninjas? This is so fascinating. I'm sitting on the greatest scientific discovery since electricity and I cannot do anything about it. I mean, I wouldn't."

"Thanks April," Donatello patted her on the shoulder from behind.

"How's Michelangelo doing?" April glanced in her rearview mirror.

"He's lost a lot of blood but the first aid kit you gave us is helpin' 'em." Raph looked at his brother lying down in the back of the van.

"I'm just glad I was able to pull the bullet from his shoulder. It appears to be just a flesh wound." Donnie was relieved.

"Alright. So, you live in a sewer. Where do we go? Where's the best place to park?"

"Find an alley. The quickest way to our lair is anywhere near 9th Street." Raphael spoke from behind Leo.

"Okay guys, hang on." April violently swerved the car with a hard right turn into the next alleyway.

"This should do it. Thanks April." Michelangelo rose up from his position in the back and popped the rear door open as the van came to a stop.

"Hey, Mikey! You're awake." Raph smiled at his brother. "How ya' doin' bro?"

"Better. My shoulder's killing me. But I can move." Mikey winced with pain.

"Is the van safe here?" April cut the engine.

"It should be." Leonardo exited the front seat.

"Then I'm coming with you. That is, if you don't mind? I wanna see where you live."

"Really? We don't get too many humans down there." Raph was surprised.

"You seem trustworthy, April. We like you, so yeah, you can come with us."

"Thanks guys." April followed the four brothers down the alley towards a manhole cover.

Raph slid the sewer cover across the pavement and started down the ladder. His brothers helped Michelangelo from the car and followed with April in tow. As they reached the mouth of the sewer, the group cut left down a long corridor, finally arriving at the sheet metal door of their lair.

"Wait! Hold it, dudes!" Raph stopped dead in his tracks. "Look at this." The turtle pointed to the door.

The lock was broken and the door was slightly cracked open. All four turtles instinctively pulled their weapons.

"Move slow and be careful." Leo moved ahead of Raph and cautiously opened the door.

The scene was chaos. The dining table was in the center of the room in pieces. The electric stove had been pulled out from the wall and was turned over and dented. The old brown sofa was now in tatters and turned on its side. Bookshelves were knocked over and books were everywhere. The TV at the front of the room was smashed in. Lamps were knocked over and light bulbs smashed. On the front wall of the room stood a scroll of paper, stabbed into the brick with an elegant dagger.

Leo moved to the front wall and pulled the note from the knife. He began to read the kanji on the thick paper.

Dear Freaks. We have found your lair. We have taken your master. We know not what you are or where you come from but beware. You have made a formidable enemy Your intervention at the warehouse will not go unpunished. Your presence is required on the roof of the warehouse at 110th Street. You will find your master there.

—The Foot

"They've taken him." Leo eyes narrowed in anger.

"What?" Raphael gripped his weapons and fell to his knees, sobbing.

"Who has taken him, Leo?" Donnie holstered his bo staff.

"The Foot Clan. They are trying to draw us out."

"They wanna fight? We're gonna bring it to 'em then." Raph stood to his feet and holsterd his blades.

"We need a plan, dudes." Mikey walked around the room, surveying the damage.

"We're gonna meet 'em there. This Foot Clan wants a war and that's what they're going to get. First things first, though. Let's clean this place up and get some rest. We'll meet them tomorrow night. I'm sure they'll be waiting." Leo stared at the note.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" April grabbed a broom that was leaning on a nearby wall.

"You can help clean up, April, if you want. When we've got the place clean, one of us will stand guard. My brothers and I will take shifts."

"Except for Mikey. He needs his rest." Raph pointed at Leo, defending his baby brother.

"Fine. Mikey, go to your quarters and get some rest." Leo ordered.

Mikey went into his room and quickly popped his head out. "Good news, dudes. The stupid Foot Clan didn't mess with my comic collection. All my books are accounted for."

"Someone's feelin' better already." Raph rolled his eyes.

"So, who's got first shift lookout duty?" Donnie picked up a broken lamp from the floor.

"Me! I'll do it." Raph volunteered.

"Um, guys, where am I gonna sleep?" April swept dirt into a pile.

"You can take what's left of our couch." Leo raised a bookshelf.

"Um, thanks." April grimaced. "I think I'll try to clean it up first."

The group continued tidying up the sewer. Each of the turtles was worried about what tomorrow would bring. Each knew that fighting the Foot Clan would be a challenge. And what of The Shredder? According to Splinter he was a fearsome and cunning opponent. The turtles were sure that no matter what happened, they would have to fight hard to get their beloved master, their father, back.


	8. Chapter 8

**Issue #8**

The night air was crisp and the usual bustle of the city seemed nonexistent as the turtles stood at the edge of a roof across from the warehouse where the ominous note instructed them to meet their enemies, the dreaded Foot Clan.

"All looks quiet." Donatello surveyed the warehouse roof through a set of high tech binoculars that he had recently designed. "The infrared scope is not picking up any body heat. They must all be inside the place."

"What the hell are we waitin' for, Leo?" Raph barked with eagerness. "Let's get in there and take 'em out and rescue Splinter."

"I still think Mikey should have stayed behind."

"I'm fine, Leo, damn. I'm not a baby. I just needed rest. Donnie sewed me up and gave me an antibiotic. It's nothing to worry about, dude. I'll just watch my shoulder."

"See, Leo, he's okay. I doubt we could handle this without him anyway. Can we go now?" Raph stood at the edge of the roof ready to pounce.

"April, are you standing by?" Leo gripped the headset that wrapped around his head.

"I'm here, Leo." A voice mixed with static sounded loudly in the eldest turtle's ear. "I'm parked a block away. When I see you guys coming with Splinter, I'll be ready."

"Okay then. Let's move, boys. But be cautious." Leo pulled both swords and launched from the roof.

His brothers followed. Each turtle landed in the street and just as quick disappeared into a nearby alleyway. They then moved to a fire escape and effortlessly traversed it. They jogged across another rooftop and again leapt over, finally arriving at the warehouse roof.

Each turtle looked around. It was definitely quiet but each of them knew instinctively that the Foot Clan was near.

"Shredder. Are you here?" Raphael stepped forward with blades drawn. "Come out! Face us, coward."

As if he dropped out of the sky, a muscled man in gray samurai armor appeared at the other end of the roof. He wore a scarlet ceremonial cape and steel shoulder pads with tiny knife-like blades protruding from them. His shins were also protected with steel plates. His forearms were adorned with matching gauntlets, each with tiny blades. Six-inch razor sharp blades were attached to his knuckles, reaching just past his fingers.

The man wore a fiberglass mask that was the same color as his dark gray tunic. It covered the bottom half of his face, leaving his eyes barely visible. An elaborate helmet with a blade running horizontally across his head and another blade running vertically across his scalp adorned the top of him.

The man stood across from the turtles breathing heavily. He said nothing choosing instead to simply stare at his quarry.

"That's the Shredder?" Donnie looked at Mikey in surprise.

"Well, the name fits. Where do you suppose he got all that hardware?" Mikey stood ready for anything.

"Who cares?" Raph paced the roof, never taking his eye off of the armored man.

"Are you ready, freaks?" the mysterious man finally spoke. "Do you have what it takes to defeat me?"

"Let's do this." Raph gritted his teeth.

"Not yet, Raph. I want to know why? Why did you take our master? What business do you have with us?" Leo pointed his ninjato toward his enemy.

"I am Oroku Saki. The rat was Hamato Yoshi, my mortal enemy in another life. He was the reason my clan was disgraced with weakness. I took the clan from him by taking his wife. And now he has returned in this mysterious form. I have only spared his life to draw you here, tonight. When I have defeated each of you I will hang his head on my mantle."

"Enough talk. C'mon, tough guy." Raph lunged toward The Shredder.

The Shredder briskly removed his cape and simply dodged the turtle's attack. He threw out his arm and stabbed Raphael in the left shoulder, knocking him down. He then threw a hard punch to Raph's face, knocking the turtle unconscious.

"No!" Michelangelo screamed in retaliation.

"Come forth then, weakling." The Shredder provoked.

Mikey raced toward his target, nunchacku flailing with violent speed. As he met Saki's blade, he was quickly dispatched. His chucks fell to the ground and Michelangelo was stabbed in the right leg. The Shredder grabbed the youngest turtle by the throat and held him at arm's length, dangling him in the air.

"Throw down your weapons or this one dies." Saki threatened, squeezing Mikey's neck even tighter and holding a blade at his head.

Leo and Donnie complied, throwing their tools of combat over the side of the roof. Donnie then, as if possessed by some vile demon, ran towards The Shredder and launched a kick towards him. The Shredder lost balance and dropped Michelangelo to the ground. Mikey rolled away from his attacker and Donnie too backed off, grabbing Raph in the process and dragging him away.

It was now Leo's turn. Weaponless, the eldest turtle streaked across the roof and jumped into a roundhouse kick. The Shredder leaned backwards and dodged the assault. The menace smashed his forearm into the turtle, scraping his plastron and then slicing the top of his shoulder. Leo fell to the ground and instantly scrambled back to the safety of his brothers.

"So, the rat has trained you well. I've had enough of these silly games. Your brother is out cold and the three of you cannot defeat me."

"Our Master taught us that if we work together, there is nothing that we can't accomplish."

"Ha, ha, ha. How sweet!" The Shredder mocked. "It appears that we are at an impasse. The four of you are indeed extraordinary. Your ninja skills are impressive. Therefore I offer each of you a role in the Foot Clan. Join me. Become my elite honor guard. Together we will be unstoppable."

"No!" A familiar voice from behind Saki screamed.

The Shredder turned around, surprised at who stood before him. "You! How did you escape?"

It was Splinter. He was visibly battered and had many wounds across his body. He stood on the ledge of the roof, holding a butterfly sword that he commandeered from some unlucky Foot soldier.

"Master. Are you okay?" Leo was relieved to see his father standing there.

"I am okay, Leonardo. But now it is time to end this."

"Big words from such a small creature, Yoshi. You always were weak. You lacked the will to do what was necessary. That is why your wife had to die. That is why you could not avenge her."

"Vengeance is not the way of a true warrior. Justice and peace are what a warrior seeks, Saki. Your ways have brought death and destruction. That is why you dishonored the clan. For that, you will pay."

"Enough talk, damn you!" Saki removed his mask and threw it to the ground. "Fight me!"

With the grace of a swan and the speed of a cobra Splinter leapt at his aggressor. Oroku Saki darted toward the rat with arms in front of him, ready to slice his prey. As the two warriors met their combat was rhythmic. Saki moved with a violent saltation, attempting to punch, jab or stab Splinter, but he was blocked at every turn. Splinter would swing and wave the butterfly sword with elegance and swiftness but repeatedly missed.

"We are too evenly matched, Yoshi. If only you had seen things my way, back when the Clan was at its peak, we could have conquered the world." The Shredder once again threw a punch towards Splinter.

"Your lust for power blinds you, Saki. Your thirst for blood, your hatred will betray you." Splinter kicked Saki as hard as he could in the chest.

The armored madman flew backwards with brutal force, landing on his back. Splinter wasted no time and lunged upon Saki's chest, holding him down. The rat raised a sword preparing to deliver a blow of finality.

"I know not how you have returned to this mortal plane, Saki. But, what I do now, I do for the good of the Clan and for the good of the world. An evil like yours must be extinguished."

"Do it, rat. Take my life. Let me die with honor."

"You have no honor." Splinter dropped the blade with brutal force and watched as Saki's head separated from his body. "It is finished, my sons."

Raphael awoke from his injury and quickly moved to his feet. "Hey, what'd I miss? Master Splinter, you're back. Wait! Is that The Shredder? Master, did you—?"

"Yes, Raphael. The evil is gone. I have taken his life."

The four turtles crowded around their master. Each became somber at the sight of what had taken place. Splinter had always taught them to only kill in self-defense. Each of them knew that their master had no choice.

The honking of a car horn broke the moment of silence. Raph moved to the edge of the roof and saw April's van parked and running below the warehouse.

"Guys, April's here. Are we ready?"

"Yeah, let's go." Leo acknowledged.

As the four brothers leapt from the warehouse roof with their master in tow, a shadowy figure appeared at the side of Oroku Saki. It was Master Tatsu, chunin of the Foot Clan. He waved his hand and six soldiers of the clan appeared. They lifted Saki's body and just as quickly as they had appeared they disappeared into the night.

While Splinter and his turtles had been victorious over Oroku Saki's Foot Clan, it was clear that they had only won the battle. A great war between the two opposing sides remained. Each turtle knew in their hearts that they had not seen the last of the Foot Clan. It was only a matter of time before they would meet again.


End file.
